Mooresville, N.C. (June 25, 2012) - For the second time this season, Casey Mears will wheel the No. 13 Valvoline™ NextGen™ Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Germain Racing. This time, Mears will put the NextGen colors before Valvoline’s hometown crowd at Kentucky Speedway— a short drive from Valvoline’s global headquarters in Lexington, KY.

"Kentucky is a good racetrack and it's fun to go to a venue that the Cup Series hasn't gone to a lot,” explained driver Mears, noting the delicate balance between handling and aero one needs to succeed at the 1.5-mile oval. “(The track) has a big uphill on the front stretch and an elevation change outside of turn four. It's bumpy and a challenging track because you have to have your car handling right but also get the splitter as low as you possibly can to have some grip."

Considering the top-20 finish the team secured in their debut of the Valvoline NextGen paint scheme two weeks ago at Michigan, this Germain Racing group has high hopes for the No. 13 Ford Fusion in Saturday night’s 400-mile event.

“We certainly want another top-20 result for the Valvoline NextGen Ford. Kentucky Speedway is the home track for the folks at Ashland, Inc. and we’d love to give them another strong finish like we had for them at Michigan,” said crew chief Bootie Barker. “Our team is very different heading into this race than where we were a year ago. Our equipment is improved, our team is more organized and focused and we are able to utilize our relationship with Ford and Roush to continue to grow the vision that Bob Germain had for Germain Racing for this season. We are really looking forward to putting our Valvoline NextGen Fusion on track before the Kentucky fans.”

To date Casey Mears has collected ten top-25 finishes in sixteen races in 2012. The effort has locked the No. 13 team solidly into the top-35 in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Owners Points which means the team can focus on race trim during the practice sessions rather than working solely on qualifying trim as in years past.

After 16 events, Mears ranks 28th in Sprint Cup Series points, a position he has held since the seventh race of the season.

About Valvoline: Valvoline, a brand of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), has been serving American motorists longer than any other motor oil. The Valvoline family of products includes Eagle One™ appearance products, Car Brite™ car restoration products, Zerex™ antifreeze, SynPower™ performance products, MaxLife™ products created for higher-mileage engines and NextGen™ motor oil, created with 50 percent recycled oil. With approximately 870 locations throughout the United States, Valvoline Instant Oil Change™ is a leader in serving the quick lube market. Follow Valvoline on Twitter @Valvoline.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at GermainRacing.com. Driver Casey Mears is also on Twitter @CJMearsGang.

Sonoma, CA (June 24, 2012) – Experiencing a contrast in landscape, Casey Mears and the GEICO team left the Irish Hills of Michigan with a Top 20 finish and then headed to the beautiful vineyards of the Sonoma Valley.Awaiting them was the first road course race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Mears took to the scenic Sonoma road course on Friday for practice.After being 26th in the opening session, the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion jumped to 21st in the second practice and turned in the third best ‘ten consecutive lap average’.Mears’ qualifying effort also showed promise, as the California native wheeled around the 1.99-mile circuit in 76.220 seconds, which was good enough for a Top 20 starting spot.

The green flag waved on Sunday afternoon amid cool temperatures, bright sunshine and a packed house.Starting 20th, Mears initially gave up positions and fell as low as 24th before charging back to the front of the field.He had worked the #13 GEICO Fusion into the Top 15 by lap 30 and then into the Top 10 on lap 33 before traveling down pit road for a scheduled green flag pit stop.The Germain Racing pit crew quickly outfitted their driver with four fresh Goodyear racing tires and a full tank of Sunoco racing fuel before returning him to the racing surface poised to do battle.

With the exception of a brief moment late in the race, Mears would not depart the Top 20 for the remainder of the afternoon.

The event’s first yellow flag of the day would not manifest itself until lap 82, and crew chief Bootie Barker would order Mears to stay out on the racetrack rather than bring the GEICO machine down pit road for service.Barker radioed to Mears, “Stay out.We’re good on fuel.”The strategy placed Mears seventh on the board when the race went back to green with just 24 laps to go.Unfortunately, he fell victim to cars with fresher tires and would quickly find himself freefalling through the field, bottoming out in 22nd place.It didn’t take him long to rebound, as he promptly returned to the Top 20.

It was high drama in Wine Country when Kyle Busch and Paul Menard engaged in a bit of synchronized spinning, bringing out the second caution of the day with just four laps left in the advertised distance.A green-white-checkered finish would ultimately settle an afternoon of hard racing.

Mears and the #13 GEICO Fusion restarted 19th when the green flag turned the field loose for the final laps of the day.As the race came to a close, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. got into the rear of the GEICO machine, causing Mears to make a masterful save as he flew through the dirt.Although the contact also caused a tire rub that sent smoke from the rear of his car, Mears never lifted off of the gas and collected four positions on the final lap, recording a 15th place finish and accounting for the team’s best result of the 2012 season.

“I’m proud of everyone on this GEICO team,” Mears said after climbing from his #13 GEICO Ford Fusion.“We were fast all weekend and the pit crew did a great job today of getting me on and off of pit road quickly.We had a couple of tough weeks there with Dover and Pocono, so I think the last two races showed our perseverance and that despite the setbacks, we can turn around and get a Top 20 at Michigan and now a Top 15 here in Sonoma.We qualified 24th last week and 20th this week.We’re improving and starting to show what we can do out there on the racetrack.”He continued, “It’s great to have Valvoline NexGen back on the car next week in Kentucky and I’m looking forward to giving them an exciting weekend.Michigan went well when they were on the car, so hopefully Kentucky will follow suit.”

Next week, the colors of Valvoline NexGen return to the #13 Germain Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry as the team makes their way to Sparta, Kentucky, for race number 17 of the 2012 season.

Mears and the #13 Valvoline NextGen Ford Fusion will hit the track at Kentucky Speedway for the opening practice session on Friday, June 29th, at 11:30 AM (EDT).Qualifying will follow at 5:10 PM (EDT).

The Quaker State 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is on Saturday, June 30th, and it will be televised live on TNT beginning at 6:30 PM (EDT).The Performance Racing Network (PRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.caseymearsracing.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

Brooklyn, MI (June 17, 2012) – Casey Mears and his Germain Racing team came storming into Michigan still glowing from a positive weekend in the Pocono Mountains that saw them make significant progress with their racecars.This weekend also welcomed Valvoline™ NextGen™ as a primary sponsor of the #13 Germain Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry.Valvoline(TM) NextGen will also adorn the car as a primary sponsor for the June 30th race at Kentucky Speedway.

When Mears and his #13 Valvoline NextGen Ford Fusion took to the track for the series’ opening practice session, they experienced frustration after landing 35th on the board.The final practice session would revive the hopes of the team as they made necessary adjustments that sent Mears ascending the speed charts and finishing up in the 19th position, 16 spots to the good.

When qualifying got underway on Saturday afternoon, Mears wheeled his #13 Valvoline NextGen Fusion around Michigan International Speedway in just 36.262 seconds, at a rate of speed of 198.555 miles per hour.His effort placed him 24th on the starting grid, just ahead of Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch.

When Mears and his Germain Racing team arrived at the track on Sunday morning, their battle with the 2-mile repaved tri-oval would be delayed, as rain settled over the Brooklyn, Michigan, area.It wouldn’t take long for the weather to clear and for the cars and drivers to take to the starting grid before an enthusiastic crowd of 82,000 fans.

Once the green flag set the field loose amid clearing skies, Mears made quick progress and jumped three positions to 21st before the event’s first caution flag of the day waved on lap two for a Kurt Busch spin.Once the race went back to green, Mears and the #13 Valvoline NextGen Fusion dropped a few spots before setting sail for the front of the field.As the race passed the halfway point, he would even dip into the Top 10 before Lap 126 saw him craftily dodging the crashing cars of Joey Logano and Kasey Kahne.

The balance of Mears’ afternoon was spent in the Top 25 before a late-race surge saw him hustle the #13 Valvoline NextGen Fusion to a 20th place finish.The result accounts for the team’s second Top 20 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

“It was great to get out of there with a Top 20 finish and give both Valvoline NextGen and GEICO a good day at the track,” Mears said.“We enjoyed having Valvoline NextGen on the car and their sponsorship shows that we’re making progress and companies are taking notice of our improvement.We appreciate Valvoline’s support and look forward to having them back on the car in Kentucky in a couple of weeks.”Mears continued, “I’m proud of all of our guys.Our team fights hard and when we’re struggling, we don’t quit; Bootie (Barker, crew chief) and the guys keep hustling until we find what we need.”

The GEICO Gecko will return to the hood of the #13 Ford Fusion this week when the Germain Racing team travels to the Napa Valley for the first road course race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.Mears has two career Top 10’s at the northern California racing circuit.

Mears and his #13 GEICO Ford Fusion will hit the track in Sonoma, CA, for the opening practice session on Friday, June 22nd, at 3:00 PM (EDT).Qualifying will follow at 6:40 PM (EDT).

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is on Sunday, June 24th, and it will be televised live on TNT beginning at 2:00 PM (EDT).The Performance Racing Network (PRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.

Follow Valvoline on Twitter @Valvoline. To learn more about Germain Racing, please visit: www.GermainRacing.com or follow on Twitter @GermainRacing

To learn more about the GEICO racing program, please visit: www.caseymearsracing.com

·- Bootie Barker is crew chief for the Valvoline NextGen Fusion and has been with Germain Racing since 2009

Mooresville, N.C. (June 14, 2012) - Germain Racing is proud to race a Valvoline™-sponsored entry for the first time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Previously, the team sported the Valvoline colors in NASCAR’s other two premier divisions. Sunday, veteran driver Casey Mears will wheel the No. 13 Valvoline NextGen™ Ford Fusion around the freshly repaved 2.0-mile oval.

“The Germain family has had a long-standing relationship with Ashland and the Valvoline products in our automobile dealerships. Valvoline has been a long-time supporter of Germain Racing,” explained team owner Bob Germain Jr. “So it's very exciting for us to run the Valvoline NextGen Ford Fusion to help promote the NextGen recycled oil products to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series fans.”

"I'm very glad to have Valvoline NextGen on and in our Ford Fusion this weekend. Valvoline has supported Germain Racing since 2010 but this will be the first time we have run this paint scheme in the Sprint Cup Series. It's also the first of two races for this partnership, in Michigan and Kentucky so I hope that we will be able to have a couple good runs for them,” said Mears. “The NextGen oil is 50-percent recycled so it comes from a better base stock which makes it a better oil as well as a green product to help our environment."

Mears is looking forward to racing at Michigan, although the California native is not sure what his past experience there will bring to the table given the track’s fresh pavement.

"I’ve always enjoyed racing at Michigan,” explained Mears. “I liked driving it in the past because of the way it was paved; you could run the top, middle and bottom. But I don’t know how the repave is going to change that. It has been a decent track for me though and I’ve had some really good runs there—finished 2nd two years in a row in Indy Lights and won a race in ARCA. I’m looking forward to going back.”

About Valvoline: Valvoline, a brand of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), has been serving American motorists longer than any other motor oil. The Valvoline family of products includes Eagle One™ appearance products, Car Brite™ car restoration products, Zerex™ antifreeze, SynPower™ performance products, MaxLife™ products created for higher-mileage engines and NextGen™ motor oil, created with 50 percent recycled oil. With more than 867 locations throughout the United States, Valvoline Instant Oil Change™ is a leader in serving the quick lube market. Follow Valvoline on Twitter @Valvoline.

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at GermainRacing.com. Driver Casey Mears is also on Twitter @CJMearsGang.

Mooresville, NC (June 12, 2012) – Although sponsorship funding eluded the Germain Racing team for last weekend’s Pocono race, that doesn’t mean they didn’t enjoy a productive visit to the Tricky Triangle.In fact, if you rest within earshot of GEICO driver Casey Mears and his crew, you will even hear enthusiasm flowing through their voices.

Aside from the normally scheduled NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, the Pocono weekend also provided the GEICO team the opportunity to test for the first time since the 2012 season got underway in February.Pocono Raceway afforded the series a test on Wednesday and Thursday due to the repaving that took place during the off-season.Mears experienced vast improvement throughout both days, winding up 30th in the week’s first session, before bettering his position to 16th when the final day of testing concluded.

The test allowed the Germain Racing team to collect much needed information from the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion via its data acquisition system, which helps assess the car’s reaction in certain situations.Mears’ GEICO machine was riddled with sensors that ultimately provided crew chief Bootie Barker and his engineers with data necessary to help make proper adjustments, which, in turn, would provide Mears with additional speed.Their efforts were successful and the results became evident as the race weekend got underway.

While Mears ended up 21st and 15th in Friday’s respective practice sessions, the results would not be indicative of his success.He spent the bulk of both practices in the top five and top ten, garnering significant television exposure and giving the GEICO team a much needed confidence boost after a tough week at Dover.

With Pocono in their rearview mirror, the Germain Racing team now eyes an upcoming test this week at Michigan International Speedway, another facility that has experienced a repaving in the off-season.To a single-car team on the rise, each test session serves as a valuable opportunity to gather much needed data and information that will ultimately translate into speed for Mears and his Ford Fusion.

Good news is abound after the Pocono test and now Mears and his Germain team welcome a new sponsor in Valvoline for this weekend’s Quicken Loans 400.Valvoline will also fly their corporate colors on the #13 Germain Racing Sprint Cup Series entry at Kentucky Speedway on June 30th.While Mears and his Germain team started the season with 22 races sponsored, the number has now grown to 25.

“Pocono was a weekend of mixed emotions because the test and the practice sessions went really well, but we didn’t have a sponsor for the race so that cut our Sunday short,” Mears said.“We made a lot of progress and were able to learn some things and gather much needed data.We had a great weekend and it’s also exciting to learn that Valvoline will be on our car for Michigan and Kentucky.We’ve made a lot of progress this year and things continue to head in the right direction.”

This week, Mears and the Germain Racing team will be looking to get the party started quickly when they travel to Motown for race number 15 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Mears and his #13 Valvoline Ford Fusion will hit the track at Michigan International Speedway for a one day test on Thursday before the opening practice session on Friday, June 15th, at 12:30 PM (EDT).Qualifying will follow on Saturday at 1:10 PM (EDT).

The Quicken Loans 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is on Sunday, June 17th, and it will be televised live on TNT beginning at 12:00 PM (EDT).The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.

To learn more about the GEICO racing program, please visit: www.caseymearsracing.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

Dover, DE (June 3, 2012) – Casey Mears entered Dover on a positive note after a near Top 20 finish a week ago in Charlotte, and nine Top 25’s in his first twelve starts.With positive momentum carrying the GEICO Racing team, Dover served as further opportunity to continue a successful run.

While Dover is not without its challenges, Mears’ first challenge came in the opening NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice when he ended up 39th on the speed chart.Seemingly undaunted, Mears took to the track for Happy Hour and landed the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion a resilient 11th on the board, improving a stunning 28 positions from the earlier session.Hope was abound, but qualifying provided more fuel for the team’s rollercoaster ride when the GEICO Fusion bottomed out during qualifying and left Mears starting 40th on Sunday.

Bright sunshine and reasonable temperatures greeted Mears and his teammates when they took to the starting grid for Sunday’s FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks.When the green flag turned the field loose, Mears made quick work of his competition, netting five positions before the conclusion of the opening lap.He navigated his way up to 32nd before the Monster Mile reared its ugly head.Just nine laps into the 400-lap event, Mears was collected in the largest crash of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.A seasoned veteran who rarely falls victim to crashes, Mears was collected along with twelve others, including Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya and Regan Smith.For all of his efforts, he was relegated to a 41st place finish.

Mears was quick to point out that although Sunday proved frustrating, it hasn’t negated the success the team has experienced in the 2012 season.

“This is racing.It’s not fun, but it’s racing and these things happen.” Mears said as he surveyed the damage to his #13 GEICO Fusion.“It’s frustrating because I had a clear line through the crash and then I got hit from behind and ended up in the wall.”He continued, “We keep getting better and better and just because this happened doesn’t change anything.We’re not the only team sitting in the garage right now; a lot of guys got caught up in that mess.We’re in good shape.You saw the improvement from the first practice to Happy Hour and you saw how fast we were moving up in the race.I feel really good about our effort and how we came together this weekend.”

To learn more about the GEICO racing program, please visit: www.caseymearsracing.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

CONCORD, N.C. (May 27, 2012) – The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competes at 23 tracks throughout the 10-month season. However, when the series comes to Charlotte Motor Speedway, every driver and team has an extra pep in his or her step. Instead of sleeping in hotels and being away from family, the GEICO Racing team gets to be home, competing only miles away from the Mooresville, N.C. race shop.

Casey Mears relishes the opportunity to race in front of the ‘home’ crowd for another reason as well. Exactly five years ago to the day, the California native won the Coca-Cola 600, recording his first premier series victory. Heading into the weekend, Mears vividly remembered that special night and hoped to add another to his resume.

After three practice sessions and qualifying in the 25th position, the GEICO Racing team was prepared for the longest race of the season. Under warm and sunny skies, the green flag flew and quickly Mears reported his Germain Racing entry wouldn’t turn at the top of the track. The first round of green flag pit stops came on lap 42, as Crew Chief Bootie Barker brought his driver in for four fresh tires and fuel.

The laps continued to pass by, as Mears ran consistent lap times in his No. 13 GEICO Ford. On lap 113, the first caution was displayed for debris. Barker called Mears to pit road twice – once for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment and again for a bump stop adjustment to help raise the splitter off the ground.

The bump stop adjustment helped the handling of the GEICO Fusion, allowing Mears to make strides on track. Over the next 100 laps, the track began to cool off as the sun set in the Carolina sky, positively helping the veteran driver. During every pit stop that Mears made, Barker continued to tweak the set-up, setting the stage for the final 100 laps.

As the race began to wind down, business started to pick up on the track. While there was only one caution, side-by-side racing filled the mile and a half oval and Mears moved his way into the 24th position by lap 350. Solid pit stops throughout the evening placed Mears in position to gain another spot during the final fuel run. As the checkered flag flew, Mears crossed the finish line in 22nd-place, collecting his ninth Top 25 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

“I wasn’t sure what we were going to have starting the race,” said Mears. “We struggled with getting the GEICO Ford to turn this weekend and while it wasn’t perfect, Bootie and the guys made a lot of progress throughout the race tonight. Once we made the bump stop adjustments, the car seemed to handle a lot better. This Germain Racing team is making strides each week and we are going to keep moving in the right direction.”

Germain Racing remains 28th in the Owner Point standings, just 33 points outside the top-25.

Mears and the GEICO Racing team now head to Dover (Del.) International Speedway for the FedEx 400 on Sunday, June 3rd. Watch all coverage on FOX beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET.

To learn more about the GEICO racing program, please visit: www.caseymearsracing.com <http://www.caseymearsracing.com>

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing <http://www.twitter.com/geicoracing>

DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 12, 2012) – There is a reason Darlington Raceway is known as ‘The Lady in Black.’ In one moment, a driver can be conquering the lady and in the next, she has reared her ugly head. This is why many drivers love going to the prestigious South Carolina track. GEICO Racing driver Casey Mears is no different and lists Darlington as his favorite racetrack on the Sprint Cup Series circuit.

Coming off a strong run at Talladega, which saw the No. 13 GEICO Ford Fusion lead laps and run at the front of the field, Mears and the Germain Racing team looked forward to the battle in Saturday night’s Southern 500. While their 31st place qualifying effort fell short of expectations, Mears had been 16th in the weekend’s final practice session earlier the same day, giving hope to the GEICO team.

As the 368-lap event began, Mears quickly knew that the handling of the GEICO machine was off. A long green flag run forced the crew to compete through three pit cycles before the first caution flag was displayed on lap 173. The California native reported to Crew Chief Bootie Barker that the Ford was loose in turns one and two and tight in turns three and four. Barker instructed Mears to take the wave around under the first yellow period to regain a lap.

The field restarted on lap 180 with Mears scored in the 25th position. The report from the driver’s seat over the next 100 laps was that the GEICO Ford Fusion was too tight to turn well off the center of the corner. Despite this handling condition, Mears continued to push through and climb up to the 23rd position by lap 300.

Over the final 68 laps, four cautions slowed the pace as the action heated up on the track. Mears and the GEICO team relished every opportunity to make adjustments on their Ford Fusion, which resulted in a 22nd-place finish, nine positions ahead of where they started. This was the team’s eighth top-25 effort of the 2012 season.

“We didn’t have the handling right on our GEICO Ford Fusion for most of the night, but I’m proud of these guys for not giving up,” said Mears. “Bootie kept making adjustments every chance we could and it was definitely better towards the end. Darlington is one of my favorite tracks to race at but you have to hit the set-up just right to run with the leaders. Overall, another top-25 finish for our team is nice and we will focus on Charlotte for the next couple weeks.”

Germain Racing remains 28th in the Owner Point standings, just 29 points outside the top-25.

Mears and the GEICO Racing team will now spend the next two weeks at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Sprint All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600. Watch all coverage of the Sprint Showdown and All-Star Race live on SPEED Channel on Saturday, May 19.

To learn more about the GEICO racing program, please visit: www.caseymearsracing.com <http://www.caseymearsracing.com>

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing <http://www.twitter.com/geicoracing>

Talladega, AL (May 6, 2012) – Talladega has a reputation for being one of the most exciting race venues on the NASCAR schedule.After recording their best finish of the 2012 season in Richmond a week ago, Casey Mears and the GEICO team looked to provide excitement of their own when they unloaded at Talladega Superspeedway.

Less than five minutes had elapsed in Friday’s opening practice session before Mears and his #13 GEICO Ford Fusion notched the top spot on the practice charts.Mears ultimately rested in the 7th position when practice concluded.On Saturday, he took to the high-banks of the legendary speedway for qualifying and after pacing the 2.66-mile facility in just 50.539 seconds, at a rate of speed of 189.477 miles per hour, he landed the #13 GEICO Fusion 25th on Sunday’s starting grid.

188 laps of racing awaited Mears and his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series counterparts on Sunday.After the rain cleared, and the heat and humidity descended upon the Talladega area, the green flag set the field underway for an exciting afternoon of restrictor-plate action.Mears paced himself throughout the first half of the Aaron’s 499 while organizing a strategy for the final 94 laps.Mears’ spotter Jason Jarrett stayed busy and was too often forced to rattle off the words ‘Three-wide, you’re in the middle’; a phrase that makes any racer nervous.As the race intensified, that phrase would sometimes be substituted with ‘Four wide’, bringing the tension to a palpable level in the pit area.

Mears and the #13 GEICO Fusion worked their way to the front of the field, landing in the eighth position by lap 122.With 46 laps to go, Mears narrowly escaped peril when cars began crashing just above him in turn three.Jarrett calmly guided his driver through the chaos, as they continued their march to the front.Mears visited pit road under the caution and, after taking on four fresh tires and a tank of racing fuel, he restarted in the sixth position with 38 laps to go in the race.

It wasn’t long before Mears took command of the Aaron’s 499 and became the leader with just 26 laps remaining in the advertised distance.He led the race in solid fashion, even pulling away from the field, before surrendering to a hard charging Denny Hamlin.

Mears then settled into the top ten and seemed poised to challenge for the win before a cut tire changed his fate.As the #13 GEICO Fusion entered turn two, its left rear tire went down, and Mears found himself careening toward the outside wall with just 13 laps to go in the race.He did a masterful job of saving his racecar from any significant damage and was able to deliver his GEICO Fusion to the attention of his pit crew.The Germain Racing team quickly provided Mears with four fresh Goodyear racing tires and pulled out the fenders to prevent any potential tire rubs before returning him to the racing surface in the 22nd position.More remarkable, is that the pit crew’s quick work during Mears’ visit also allowed him and his #13 GEICO Fusion to remain on the lead lap.

When the race came to a close with the ever famous Green-White-Checker finish, Mears managed to hold on to a damaged racecar and record an 18th place, lead lap finish.It was the team’s best result of the young 2012 season, and marks the second consecutive week that they have posted their top effort of the year.Mears also posted the race’s fastest lap on three different occasions.Clearly, Mears and his GEICO team have their ship headed in the proper direction.

“We obviously had a great day and it was fun to get the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion up front and lead some laps,” Mears said in the garage after the race.“Unfortunately, the tire caused us some problems, but the Germain pit crew did a great job of getting the car repaired and getting me back in the race without losing a lap.I think you can see everything coming together week in and week out now.We’re getting there and people are taking notice.On the flight home, everyone was talking about how great we ran.”He continued, “Darlington has always been one of my favorite tracks, so I’m excited about getting there next week and continuing our run.”

Germain Racing remains 28th in the Owner Point standings, but now sits just 28 points removed from the Top 25.They also pad their lead over Richard Childress in 36th, where Germain now enjoys a solid 82-point cushion in the always important Top 35.

Mears and his #13 GEICO team will next dance with the Lady in Black when they visit Darlington, SC, for race number 11 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Mears and his #13 GEICO Ford Fusion will hit the track at Darlington Raceway for the opening practice session on Friday, May 11th, at 11:30 AM (EDT).Qualifying will follow at 5:10 PM (EDT).

The Bojangles’ Southern 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is on Saturday, May 12th, and it will be televised live on FOX beginning at 6:30 PM (EDT).The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.

To learn more about the GEICO racing program, please visit: www.caseymearsracing.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

Fort Worth, TX (April 14, 2012) – A week of rest always does the body good.This has never been more evident than it was in the Lone Star State on Thursday when Casey Mears took the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion on a tear around Texas Motor Speedway.He ended up 13th on the speed chart at the end of the opening practice session before providing an encore performance on Friday when he was 12th in Happy Hour and later qualified 22nd.

When Mears took the green flag on a humid, breezy Saturday evening, he started 22nd, but quickly began navigating the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion to the front of the field.Mears was the class of the field and routinely turned lap times faster than the leader.His efforts landed him in the top 10 before crew chief Bootie Barker ordered the #13 GEICO Fusion down pit road for a scheduled green flag pit stop on lap 46.The Germain Racing pit crew quickly outfitted Mears with four fresh tires and a full tank of fuel before returning him to the racing surface to continue his mission.

As the skies darkened and the winds picked up, track conditions were drastically altered causing sudden changes in Mears’ #13 GEICO Fusion.Aside from atmospheric conditions, a lap 66 pit stop would also put the team further behind.Despite the challenges, Mears and the GEICO team continued on in resilient fashion, making up ground and hustling to a 25th place finish.Mears’ effort accounts for Germain Racing’s fourth consecutive Top 25 finish of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

“Our first run was great, the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion was definitely one of the best cars on the racetrack,” Mears said.“But then the track changed so much and we began battling the car.The key is how well we did on that first run because it shows how good of a team we are and the potential of our program.We had a few people from different teams stop by before the race and comment on our improvement.We’re getting there.Each race gets better.”

The GEICO Racing team will next visit the Heart of America when they travel to Kansas City, KS, for race number eight of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Mears and the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion will hit the track at Kansas Speedway for the opening practice session on Friday, April 20th, at 1:30 PM (EDT).Qualifying will follow on Saturday, April 21st, at 12:10 PM (EDT).

The STP 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is on Sunday, April 22nd, and it will be televised live on FOX beginning at 12:30 PM (EDT).The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.geicoracing13.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

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About Germain Racing

Germain Racing team owner Bob Germain Jr. is passionate about racing in NASCAR’s highest ranks. He and his brothers, Steve and Rick, established the racing team in 2004 and Bob is thrilled to see the team’s progression to competing each week in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.